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Rarely for an England player is accused of whinging down under, yet when Joe Root faced questions regarding the need of day-night Tests in a series like the Ashes, he offered a straightforward answer.

“I personally don’t think so,” Root stated before England's net session in Brisbane. “Clearly highly popular and well-received here in Australia, and the hosts have an impressive track record in these matches. You can understand why we’re playing.

“Ultimately, we are aware well in advance that it’s scheduled. It's a requirement of preparing for the series. In a contest of this magnitude, does it need it? I don’t think so … but that doesn’t mean it has no place. I'm fine with it. In my opinion it matches traditional Test cricket. But it’s in the schedule. We’ve got to play it, and we just need to be better than Australia in these conditions.”

Joe Root's Record in Day-Night Tests Declines

Like his counterpart, Australia's Steve Smith, Root’s typically strong stats take a hit in day-night games. The England star has played each of the seven England's floodlit Tests so far, and although a hundred in his first such match against West Indies back in 2017, his career average above 50 drops to just over 38 in these games.

Conversely, bowler Mitchell Starc holds an average near 29 with a strike-rate around 50 overall, but those numbers improve to 17.08 and 33.3 respectively with the pink ball. In his last pink-ball appearance, in Jamaica, he took six for nine as the opposition were dismissed for a meager 27—career-best figures that he bettered with seven wickets for 58 in the next Test.

Key Battle Between Root and Starc Could Shape Series

The head-to-head between Root and Starc is emerging as a potential deciding factors in the Ashes. Although Cummins and Hazlewood have traditionally caused him issues, with them missing in the first Test, the veteran Starc who got him out for a duck and eight.

Root has reflected the initial wicket was just a good ball—the kind that might not carry the slips in England. His next dismissal, when he chopped on, amid second-day collapse, was an error on his part. “I am confident in my ability,” he said. “I know I’m going to score runs again.”

The Touring Side's Challenges and Preparations

Starc has adopted the wobble-seam as his preferred weapon nowadays—he noted he should have listened his teammates' suggestions earlier—and in humid Brisbane, swing may also be available. England, down one match, have more to overcome in this Test, and runs from their premier batter could aid in recovering from a self-inflicted hole.

This may not require a hundred should there be quick-fire match unfolds, yet Root's absence of a ton in Australia continues to haunt him. “I didn’t have long enough to dwell on it,” was his humble reply on being questioned whether that record bothered him during the first Test.

Team Selection and Historic Opportunity

Root and his teammates practiced hard on Sunday, with hip-hop providing the backdrop on a hot afternoon. The key sessions are vital for their readiness, held under lights.

Wood being unavailable with a sore knee opens up a spot in the lineup, and Will Jacks netting with the main batters suggests he might be the frontrunner. His off-spin are adequate, and extra runs down the order could balance any bowling leaks.

However, Josh Tongue was with the reserves in Canberra and is still in the mix if England opt for pace-heavy bowling, and spinner Bashir was included last week. Plenty to consider, indeed, at a venue where England have not won a match for decades.

“It's an opportunity to create history,” Root commented regarding this. “It would be all the sweeter if we succeed at this ground.”